"Our Uncle Lee was an eccentric old gentleman, but there's nothing odd about his creation, ALE-8. This unique blend of fruit, ginger and other secret stuff has been a Kentucky tradition since G.L. mixed up the first batch in 1926."

Ale-8-One is a carbonated beverage bottled in Winchester, Kentucky. It can be found throughout most of Kentucky, but mainly in the central and southern regions. Ale-8-1 has also begun an invasion of the KY/IN/OH tri-state. You can also order some at http://www.ale-8-one.com.

Ale 8 is basically ginger ale. It is not a very sugary ginger ale, but more comparable to a brand like Vernors. As the quote from the bottle above says, it has slight "fruity" taste. It really is quite odd, and I've always described it as tasting like "dirty ginger ale". If you force yourself to drink of few bottles you just might get hooked.

Ale-8 was created in 1926 by G.L. Wainscott. It seems the name actually came from a "name the product" type contest. The winner was what is now the "tagline": "A Late One". On the bottle it appears as ALE81, with the 1 being smaller than the 8. The bottles are green, with a white background and red foreground. People tend to refer to the drink as either: "A Late One", "Ale-8-One" or, more commonly, "Ale-8".

The contents, according to the label, are: Carbonated Water, Sugar and/or Corn Sweetener, Glycerin, Natural and Artificial Flavorings, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Caramel Coloring, Phosphoric Acid and Caffeine. Many people believe that Ale-8 has more caffeine in it than Mountain Dew. On the website they claim that, in reality, Coke and Pepsi have more caffeine. Supposedly, a diet blend is being created.

If you're ever in Kentucky make sure grab some Ale-8. It's currently available in central KY in pop machines in cans. If you want the real stuff though, you need to make sure it's in a glass bottle. I recommend buying and drinking a six pack to really get into it.